Lifeboat davit



April 6, 1937. c, H, U L 2,076,021

LIFEBOAT DAVIT Fil ed June 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 #v/swraa C- H-FULLER v v T ER/YE Y Patented Apr. 6, 1937 uru'rsn res PATENT 1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to lifeboat davits, and particularly to a simplified form of lifeboat launching apparatus.

The main object of this invention is the provision of an exceedingly simple and efficient form of davit whereby a lifeboat may be lowered over a ship side without endangering the occupants regardless of the degree at which the ship is listing.

The second object is to construct a davit which will require only a minimum number of operating lines and which will be flexible in operation.

The third object is to construct a lifeboat davit by means of which a boat may be suspended in a manner to minimize the swinging action thereof.

The fourth object is to construct a lifeboat davit which will be relatively light in porportion to its capacity and which can be handled by unskilled persons without endangering the occupants of the boat being launched or raised from the water to the deck of the vessel on which the davit is mounted.

I accomplish these and other objects in the manner set forth in the following specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the davit showing the lifeboat in a partially elevated position.

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic end elevation of the davit showing the boat resting on the deck and a second boat stored inboard from the davit.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing a boat raised to its maximum height by the davit.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the booms extended to an outboard position.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the boat lowered to the water.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the booms moved inboard to pick up a boat which is in storage.

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. 1.

Similar numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown a pair of upright tubular masts [9, each of which is supported by a base i l, which may be secured to a deck I? in any convenient manner. In the upper part of each mast it are mounted a pair of sheaves l3 between which passes the boat handling line it which also passes around the sheave l5 at the foot of its respective mast i0 and winds up the boat handling drums I6, which for the sake of illustration are shown as being operated by means of a hand crank i'l. Each mast ID is provided with a foot 58 having an upright standard [9 spaced from the mast it to receive a tubular boom 20 therebetween.

Each of the booms 20 is securely mounted on the shaft 2|. Each boom 20 has secured near its outer end 22 a head 23 from whose inwardly projecting end 24 is pivotally suspended the boom block 25 around Whose sheave 26 passes the boat handling line I4. The lines It are attached by means of hooks 21 to the lifeboat 28. Each boom 26 is stayed by means of the brace 29 to the bracket 30 on the deck l2. A tie rod 3| unites the ends 22 of the booms 20.

On the shafts 2i and adjacent to the standards W are the boom actuating drums 32. If the shaft 2! is continuous, then one drum 32 is sufficient for the purpose, but if two short shafts 2i are to be employed, then two drums 32 will be needed, two drums 32 may be used with the shaft 2! as shown in Fig, l where additional rigidity is desired. When two drums 32 are employed, the boom handling line 33 passes around the two drums 32 in reverse directions and around the shafts 34 on the bases Ii, and also around the sheaves 35 and 36 to the boom operating drums 31 upon which drums 3'! the line 33 winds in opposite directions. In other words, the rotation of the two drums 31 will impart a swinging movement to the booms 28, while the rotation of the boat handling drums H3 in either direction will cause the boat 28 to be raised or lowered as the case may be.

In cases where the presence of the shaft 2| is not objectionable, the drum 32 which is farthest from the drums l6 and 31' may be omitted and the line 33 pass only around the nearest drum 32.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming that the lifeboat 28 is in the position shown in Fig. 3 and it is desired to launch same, the operator first rotates the boat handling drums IE to raise the boat 28 to the position shown in Fig. 4-that is, bringing the boat ends close to the sheaves 26. He then rotates the boom operating drums 3i causing the booms 23 to move to the position shown in Fig. 5, in which the boat 28 is free from the ship side 38 after which it may be lowered to the water or raised therefrom by the operation of the boat handling drums it.

It will be noted that the inboard operation of the boat, as shown in Fig. '7, is accomplished by the mere reversal of the rotation of the shaft 2!. It will also be noted that the center line of the pivot 39 of each of the blocks 25 is substantially 0 a crank 39-A.

I claim:

A derrick having in combination a pair of spaced upright masts, a shaft extending through the feet of both of said masts, the outer end of said shaft having boom actuating drums secured thereon, a boom between the outer side of each 2,076,021 tangent to the pitch circle of the sheave 25, so

mast and its adjacent drum, a continuous cable passing around both of said boom actuating drums in opposite directions, a boom operating cable winding mechanism for handling said cable whereby both of said booms may be handled in unison, each of said masts having a pivotally mounted block attached near its outer end, each of said blocks having a sheave therein which is tangential to the pivot of the block, boat handling lines adapted to be attached to opposite ends of a lifeboat, each of said lines passing around the sheave in the block, thence downwardly between a pair of sheaves mounted on the adjacent mast head, thence around the fair leading sheave to a cable winding mechanism.

CHARLES H. FULLER. 

